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Coming Next Issue
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Beat Gas Prices |
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BBQ Guide |
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Dells Auto Museum |
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iPod FM Tuners |
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| 2005 Porsche Carrera Preview (continued) |
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Up front, new headlights and a slightly longer beak are sure to spark discussion in the Porsche enthusiast camps. Gone are the tear-drop style headlamps that we'd come to accept, replaced by oval housings that are positioned more vertically. Turn signal indicators find themselves in the bumper cover. Out back, the 997's tail lights appear more sculpted and elongated, while the pop-up spoiler/engine cover loses three cooling slots from the previous model.
Under the surface, Porsche says the 997 chassis has an 8 percent increase in torsional rigidity and a 40 percent increase in overall chassis stiffness. Improved manufacturing processes are to thank for this newfound reinforcement. Redesigned MacPherson struts and a refined multi-link rear suspension improve ride, handling and noise characteristics. Porsche's Active Suspension Management will be standard on the Carrera S and utilizes Bilstein's adaptive dampers to automatically adjust the level of damping.
Inside, expect the 997 to resemble the more modern looking Cayenne, complete with three-spoke steering wheel, and aluminum-look trim. Entry and egress may prove to be a little more challenging than before, due to wider sills, ala the 993.
All of these changes push the 997's weight up to 3075-lbs for the Carrera and 3131-lbs for the Carrera S. Thanks, however, to the increased engine output, drivers shouldn't notice any performance hits. Porsche claims a 5.0 second 0-62 figure for the 325-hp Carrera, and a 4.8 second 0-62 figure for the 355-hp S model. Expect top speeds for each model to hover near 180 mph, and pricing for the Carrera to start at about $70,000. The Carrera S should come in at just under $80,000.
We'll make more information available as soon as it's released. 
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